Author Topic: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06  (Read 1170 times)

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Offline Thebear_78

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Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« on: November 19, 2009, 09:48:39 AM »
I have shot three deer in the last few days with 165gr WInchester CXP2 165gr 30/06 ammo.  It is pretty accurate out of my 24" encore barrel but its terminal performance has been pretty poor. 

I shot the first deer a 2.5yr old 8pt at just over 300 yards, behind the shoulder and exited out the last rib on far side.  Deer ran about 80 yards and piled up in a large sumac bush.   There was no blood or hair at the spot of the shot, and no blood trail until the last 20 yards or so before the deer piled up, if I hadn't have heard him crash in the bush I might not have found him.   

Second deer was a large doe at about 90 yards quartering away.   Bullet hit behind the on side shoulder and exited out in front of other shoulder,   she ran 80-90 yards and piled up in some very tall thick grass.   There was no evidence of a hit at the spot of the shot, no blood, no hair,  I walked circles around where she was hit and never found any blood.   I looked for 15-20 minutes walking all around the scene of the shot but couldn't find anything,  sat back up in my tree,  then again later that morning I looked again for another half hour, no sign.  Finally figured I must have missed.   Three days later we found her while walking out of the field,  she had bloated enough that her white belly fur was vissible from a higher elevation.   

The third deer I shot a day after the lost doe.  She was 350 yards out in a winter wheat feild.  Shot was perfect behind the shoulder exited out the off shoulder.    Very dramatic reaction to the shot and she ran into some woods about 40 yards from where she was shot.   Again, no blood or hair at the spot of the shot.   I knew I hit her so I kept following where she was headed.  finally about 50 yards from the spot of the shot I found one small drop of blood.   Then a little further I found a little spray of blood and  within another 20 yards was a decent blood trail,  she hopped over a fence and fell down a ditch, dieing in the bottom of the ditch about 75-80 yards from where she was shot.   Again without all of that follow up and my confidence in the shot I probably wouldn't have found that deer.  These are the first deer I have shot with the 30/06 and I'm not too impressed.  I have shot a lot of deer with the .243 winchester and never had this much trouble with finding deer. Deer I have shot with the .243 all of them either were laying right at the shot or left a decent ammount of blood trail to follow.  I have also shot a handfull with 25/06 and 7mm Rem with similar results.     

It really kills me to have wasted that large doe.  I won't be using this ammo any more.  I can't say it failed because all of the deer where dead in short order but very idssapointed in the blood trails.  Any one else had this kind of expereince with winchester 30/06 ammo?

Offline mirage1988

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2009, 10:18:52 AM »
I have shot at least 20 deer with 165 grain noslers partitions in 30/06, with only one running more that 30 yards and that was a hit a little far back. Have never used the winchester ammo, are they for deer sized animals?

Offline Thebear_78

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2009, 11:47:58 AM »
says right on the box, light thin skinned game with a picture of a whitetail on it.   Technicly the bullet didn't fail, just wasn't a blood trail.    The bullets appeared to expand,  I will just try a lighter more explosive bullet next time.  Maybe  A 150gr nosler BT or hornady SST.

Offline mirage1988

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2009, 12:11:36 PM »
You could try shooting them a little lower too, a high lung hit will not bleed heavy until the chest cavity fills up with blood, while a heart shot will bleed right away, and oftentimes drop them in their tracks.

Offline sa doc

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2009, 04:07:10 AM »
I agree with mirage1988 about the high lung hit not giving much blood trail.   I don't have a 30-06, but have shot close to 100 deer with a 270 and 130g winchester PPs.   They are a fast opening bullet and act a lot like a ballistic tip. Our lease is on a state approved management plan and I shoot 8-10 deer a year. I often vary shot placement just to experiment.  If you don't mind wasting the shoulders,  a shot through both shoulders will usually drop them on the spot.They may kick around a little, but usually move less than 20 yards. I usually find the 130 PPs under the skin on the far side.  Shots behind the shoulders with the same bullets give complete pass through. If you hit high enough to get some spinal shock they will drop. If you hit just a little lower (but still in the mid to upper lung area)they will run 20-70 yards and not always bleed until the chest fills up with blood.  I tried Nosler Partitions for a while, and had even less of a blood trail.  A shot to the lower lungs or heart area generally gives a much better blood trail, but I have seen a few heart shot deer run a long way (I was amazed when I saw the damage). I have never lost a deer with the Power Points, and any difficult tracking job I could always attribute to shot placement.   Where I hunt the brush is so thick that it can be very hard to find a deer that goes 70 yards  and I shoot enough deer that saving the shoulders isn't a big deal, so I usually go for a double shoulder shot.  I have tried ballistic tips, corelockts, hornady SSTs, partitions, sierra gamekings, and a few others and have not found a bullet that kills any better than the Winchester PowerPoints on whitetail deer.

Offline sa doc

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2009, 01:24:10 PM »
I took a another buck today with the 130g powerpoints in my 270 today :) . 236 yards quartering away. Deer went down in less than 10 yards.  The 130gr in 270 has about the same sectional density as the 165gr in 30-06 and should perform similarly. Don't give up on the powerpoints yet.


Offline Thebear_78

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2009, 02:30:35 PM »
Nice buck SADOC

Offline Dillohide

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2009, 10:54:06 AM »
I use 150 gr Winchester Power Points in my 30/06 and have not had a problem. Last deer was a nice buck at 200 yrds, middle of the rib cage just behind the shoulder. He went about 20 yards. Had a nice exit hole. Before that a doe about the same distance but I pulled it a little and through the shoulder. She back flopped. Messed up the exit shoulder pretty good.

Offline squirrellluck

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Re: Very unimpressed with winchester PP ammo 165gr 30/06
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2009, 02:23:06 PM »
 Not every shot is gonna create a good blood trail or a blood trail at all. I can't see blood so blood trail does not matter. Used a 7 mauser for years and can count on 1 hand the exit wounds I got. Never lost any deer because of it. Did loose 1 my dad shot this year but he fell into a flooded creek and I never found him